NYC to dispense abortion pills for free

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• New York City residents can look forward to obtaining abortion pills free of charge.
• The pills will be dispensed at a health clinic in the Bronx, followed by more clinics in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens by the end of the year.
• Mayor Eric Adams said he aims to make the city’s healthcare services more inclusive of girls and women.

Abortion pills can now be obtained in New York City, free of charge. According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the pills will be dispensed at a health clinic in the Bronx. The pills work as an alternative to surgical abortions.

As part of Mayor Eric Adams’ “New York City Women’s Health Agenda,” abortion drugs will be provided free of charge in more clinics in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens by the end of the year. He said that he aims to make the city’s healthcare services more inclusive of girls and women.

Adams declared on Tuesday, “For too long, health and health care has been centered around men. If men had periods, pap smears, and menopause, they would get a paid vacation. And if men could get pregnant, we wouldn’t see Congress trying to pass laws restricting abortion.”

The so-called “abortion pill” is a two-pill regimen that involves taking mifepristone and misoprostol in succession. It has been considered a safe and effective way to end pregnancy until 10 weeks of gestation.

The median cost for a medication abortion was $560 in 2020. The medication is sold for $249 by abortion care startup Hey Jane, which also partners with groups to provide financial assistance to women who can’t afford the procedure.

Mifepristone was only previously provided through prescriptions directly from a doctor or via telemedicine, which can then be sent via mail. This process didn’t include getting the pills via pharmacies before. Misoprostol, meanwhile, is more easily accessible from pharmacies since it is also used to treat stomach ulcers.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration announced that pharmacies will be allowed to dispense mifepristone to patients with a prescription, as long as the state allows the process. The Department of Justice also allowed the U.S. Postal Service to continue delivering abortion medication by mail even in states that have restricted abortion services.

Ever since the Supreme Court struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision last year, Republicans have been doubling down on passing more restrictions on abortion, while Democrats have worked to expand access to abortion services.

Source: CBS News